My Regrets in Life
by Elsie McGullen
Summary: Elsie McGullen has a great life, she goes to an amazing art school and has great friends until one day when she gets detention and everything starts going downhill from there...except for one thing...


My Regrets in Life

Chapter 1: Mr. Shackle

"Hey guys!" Shouted Elsie. She was running down the hall of Humanities: one of the best high schools for art. It was Elsie's favorite place to be. "Wait up!" She called again. Her friends started to run away jokingly. "Guys it's no­—ugh" She began as she ran into the principal "Heyyyy, Mr. Shackle… How are you today?"

"Well my day started pretty good before one student ran into my stomach and knocked the wind out of me." He paused to let his statement sink in.

"I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to."

Detention!" He demanded. "My office, after school… I'll be looking forward to it Ms. McGullen."

Elsie went through her next classes drawing funny doodles of Mr. Shackle. By the time lunch came around she had a whole notebook full, and had picked out her favorites.

"Hey Em, what do you think about this one? It's my favorite…See his big fat butt?

"Wow that is pretty good Elsie." She heard a deep voice say behind her. She turned around to find Mr. Shackle admiring her doodle. "Except for one thing… That big fat butt isn't very flattering, now is it?"

"Well, no but this isn't what I really think you look like, I was just mad…"

"I see, well your anger has cost you seven days of suspension. And if you do come on these grounds during those seven days… You will be expelled! Now come with me right now, we are going to call your parents."

" By Em…"

Elsie sat in front of the principal's office waiting for her mom to come pick her up, and thinking about how much Mr. Shackle annoyed her.

_**This is so ridiculous! **_She thought. **_Everyone draws mean pictures, but I'm the only one who gets in trouble for it. And suspension… I think that's going a little over the top. Mom is going to make me do triple my chores for a whole month! I'm really starting to hate her. She overreacts with everything. I mean a C- on one test, one test, and she grounds me for a month! What's that about? Whatever… at least I'll have some time off from school to study more math…_**

Elsie was so consumed in her thoughts that she didn't realize that her mom had walked up to her, until she tapped her on the shoulder, "Hey mom… I can explain."

"Well be my guest."

As Elsie explained the situation to her mom she could feel her angry eyes beating down on her, making her sweat. When Elsie finished, her mom just walked away, right into Mr. Shackle's office. About ten minutes had gone by when Elsie's mom came striding out of the office. She had a smug look on her face and Elsie knew it meant bad news for her.

"So how long am I grounded for?"

"You're not." She whispered. Elsie thought this was strange since she was grounded for a month for just one C-. Elsie decided to brush it off and not argue since she had gotten away with such little punishment. A week of suspension wasn't going to be so bad, especially since her mom had just gotten a job and wasn't home till 5:30. Elsie decided that she would make the best of this time and maybe paint a new picture, or study for her math test

next week: She wasn't going to waste this precious alone time. While thinking about math she realized that she didn't have anything to study with because all her books were still in her locker…

"Mom, can I get my books before we leave? I left them in my locker."

"Make it quick," Was all her mom said. Elsie grabbed her books as quickly as she could and thought she had made pretty good time. But right then as she was leaving she ran into Brad Gatemen: the captain of the football team, and the hottest guy in school, who all the girls wanted to date, except Elsie. That year she decided she would focus more on her artwork and less on boys. When she ran into him she, of course, dropped all her books

"Oh here let me help you with that."

"Thanks," she whispered. Now she was wishing she hadn't made that promise to herself…I mean he was cute…

When Elsie got home she figured that she would study for her math test first: she had to keep her priorities straight. Elsie reached for her backpack and searched through to find her study sheet, only to find that it wasn't there! She called Em, but when she got no answer she remembered that Em was visiting her grandparents a ferry ride away in Boston. She figured she dropped it when she bumped into Brad, and chose to ask him for it next week before the test and study at lunch.

Next week after her extra-long, and extra-boring suspension, she found Brad to ask him for the study sheet. "Hey, did you happen to find my math study sheet?"

" No, I didn't see any study sheet. Sorry…Ummm, I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Elsie."

"Okay thanks. But I didn't see your study sheet, sorry.

"That's okay, I was just wondering," she said a little upset. But after Elsie walked away Brad took out her study sheet, feeling bad that he hadn't given it to her, but he was still overjoyed that _**HE**_ had it…


End file.
